Vista Lacrosse: Sophomore Slump or Success?
Vista’s lacrosse team heads into its second year and seeks to gain a solid footing on the field.
Eagle time: Dec 5, 2017
With the coming of the next season for the Vista del Lago lacrosse program, the coaches and players have set greater expectations and are attracting many talented young players who were previously stuck playing in local leagues or at other schools.
Last year, the program went through its first season in the academic leagues. Varsity boys won 5 out of 12 games, with a 6-6 record in the league, while the varsity girls ended their first season with a 1-8 record overall and a 1-7 record in the league. This was considered an okay start for the infant program, but how the team will improve this season is a tough question to answer.
Most of the players and the coaches in the lacrosse program were simply glad to play. They were more focused on the whole experience of having a school team,while the idea of winning the their games took a backseat. However, the focus will most likely change in the coming season. Winning becomes the aim, and the spectacle of having a new program will be far from the minds of the players and coaches.
The varsity boys’ team was largely supported by the upperclassmen players, and with some of those more experienced players absent, others will be expected to step up. One of those players will be Jackson Waugh, a midfielder who played for the varsity boys’ team last year and is expecting to play this season. “Last season was a good start for our first year as a program,“ said Waugh, “but we are going to need to work hard to compete with the best teams in the league.” This attitude comes with a hint of optimism for the future of the team this season, as new players arriving in to replace the veterans who have left. Waugh continued by saying “we lost some key players, but we’ve got a lot of guys who can step up.”
As for the competition, certain teams bring a challenge while others simply act as a benchmark for the team’s progress. “Jesuit and Oak Ridge are looking really strong this year,” Waugh said, “but we can compete with teams like Davis and St. Mary’s.”
Players and fans of the sport worked to have a lacrosse program here at Vista del Lago, and with the second season of the league approaching, players and fans will be hoping for even more success on the field.
